1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio system apparatus having a plurality of audio apparatuses.
The present application is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei. 11-303002 and 2000-35732, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various audio apparatuses such as a CD (Compact Disc) player and an MD (Mini Disc) deck become widespread, and an audio system apparatus in which a plurality of audio apparatuses are combined with one another is popularly used.
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a usual audio system apparatus 100. The audio system apparatus 100 includes three audio apparatuses, such as a CD player 101, an MD deck 102, and a cassette tape deck 103; a display device 104; and a controlling section 105. The operations of the three audio apparatuses are controlled by the controlling section 105, and contents of operations of the audio apparatuses are displayed on the display device 104.
The controlling section 105 is provided with an operation key corresponding to various operations of the audio apparatuses. The user of the audio system apparatus 100 can operate the operation key to arbitrarily control the operations of the audio apparatuses.
For example, a CD reproduced signal from the CD player 101 can be recorded onto an MD in the MD deck 102.
FIG. 2 shows an appearance of the display device 104 in the audio system apparatus. As shown in the figure, the reproducing operation state of the CD player 101, and the recording operation state of the MD deck 102 are simultaneously displayed, so that the user can check the reproducing operation of the CD player 101, and the recording operation of the MD deck 102.
Although an audio system apparatus serves generally as a multifunctional apparatus, such an apparatus is requested to be miniaturized. Therefore, also the display device 104 is required to be miniaturized.
FIG. 3 shows an example in which the sizes of the display characters of the display device 104 are changed so as to miniaturize the display device. In this example, the display resolution is low, and hence it is difficult for the user to check the display information.
FIG. 4 shows an example in which the contents to be displayed on the display device 104 are reduced so as to miniaturize the display device. In this case, when the kinds of the contents to be displayed on the display device are small in number (about, two or three kinds), a display switchover operation key may be additionally disposed so that display information is switched over by operating the operation key, thereby enabling the user to conveniently use the apparatus.
In accordance with advancement of diversification and multifunction of audio apparatuses, the kinds of the contents to be displayed on the display device tend to be increased in number (about 5 to 10 kinds). For example, even display information relating only to the MD deck 102 includes a large number of contents to be displayed, such as a display of the record time period of an MD, an unrecord time period of the MD, and a display of the title of the MD (title input display).
In such a case, even when the display switch over operation key is disposed and the display contents of the display device are switched over, it is often that the display switch over operation key must be operated many times until display information which is requested by the user is displayed. Therefore, the example is inconvenient for the user to use.
As a device for solving this problem, it may be contemplated to dispose operation keys respectively corresponding to sets of display information. When this countermeasure is employed, a space for disposing the operation keys is additionally required. This is contrary to the request for miniaturization of a display device, and produces a further problem in that the disposition of a large number of operation keys causes an apparatus to be inconveniently used.
In view of the above-discussed problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an audio system apparatus which has a plurality of audio apparatuses, and in which contents of operations of the audio apparatuses can be efficiently displayed without increasing the size of a display device or disposing a large number of display switch over operation keys, thereby enabling the user to conveniently use the audio system apparatus.
To achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an audio system apparatus which includes: at least one audio apparatus which is able to be put in plural operation states; a display device on which at least one of a plurality of display information is displayed, wherein the plurality of display information respectively correspond to the plural operation states of the at least one audio apparatus; a display switch over operation key which is operative to switch over a display content of the display device; a display-priority information-storing device which stores display priority information indicating a priority order in which the plurality of display information are sequentially displayed on the display device; an operation detecting device which detects the plural operation states of the at least one audio apparatus; and a display control device which, in a case where there are a plurality of display information corresponding to at least one operation state detected by the operation detecting device, causes the display device to display display information of the next priority order per each time that the display switchover operation key is operated, in accordance with the display priority information stored in the display-priority information-storing device, wherein, in the display priority information, display information for the at least one audio apparatus in a recording operation state is set to be higher in priority than the other display information.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the plural operation states of the at least one audio apparatus may include the recording operation state, a reproducing operation state, and a state which is neither the recording operation state nor the reproducing operation state.
According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the display switchover operation key is operated, the display control device may judge a current operation state of the at least one audio apparatus, and then determine the display content to be displayed on the display device.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, preferably, the priority order of the display priority information is previously determined.